ONGWEDIVA – Farmers in the small-scale fisheries sector have diverse capacities and capabilities which require support.
It’s on this ground that the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), embarked on a programme to train and provide technical support to fishers in the Oshana region.
Held under the theme “Implementing Small-Scale Fisheries for Gender Equitable & Climate-Resilient Food & Livelihoods”, the four-day training session held in Ongwediva recently was aimed at helping Namibia in its efforts to promote gender equality in small-scale fisheries by empowering women to take their place across the entire value chain.
The programme saw a group of 31 community members from Uulili village in the region and one from the Zambezi, comprising small-scale farmers, fishermen and fishmongers, undergoing training aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills needed to succeed in the small-scale fishing sector.
The group received skills training on appropriate post-harvest practices through practical demonstrations.
The training covered aspects such as fish cleaning and gutting, fish salting, fish drying, fish smoking, fish packaging and fish pricing.
The deputy director in the Ministry of Fisheries, John Hamukwaya, said the sub-sector was not accounted for for years in terms of its contribution to food security as well as economic growth.
It is evident that many Namibians depend on the sector for income, jobs, food and nutrition security.
About 45 000 people are said to be in small-scale fisheries, and rely on them for their sole income.
“The commercial fisheries sector has received the most attention, but we know that the majority of our people benefit from these in the local community. The commercial sector also caters for the majority, but not at the grassroots level. This is where we are interested to see how they will benefit from these resources. Also, we must inform them that they will be unable to harvest as much as they would like due to the sustainability of the resources available to these people or communities”, he added.
Hamukwaya said the stakeholders also discussed the challenges faced by the sector, and provided solutions.
The fishers who spoke to New Era said the training equipped them with the necessary skills, which they will use to improve their products and sales.
The FAO, alongside other stakeholders, has also provided technical support to help the country craft its first National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries 2022-2026 (NPOA-SSF)
The policy is developed against the backdrop of the Global FAO umbrella programme which supports the promotion, application and subsequent implementation of the voluntary guidelines for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries.
– ashikololo@nepc.com.na